1. Field of the Disclosure
The disclosure generally relates to portable electronic devices, and particularly to a portable electronic device incorporating a centrifugal blower.
2. Description of Related Art
With the continuing development of electronic technology, processors of the portable electronic devices such as notebook computers or portable DVDs have become faster and faster, which causes the processors to generate more redundant heat. Thermal modules are traditionally disposed in the electronic devices to help transfer of the heat from the processors to an outside, thus to maintain a stability and normal performance of the electronic devices.
Generally, a thermal module is mounted in an enclosure of a portable electronic device to remove heat generated by a processor in the electronic device. The thermal module includes a fin unit thermally attached to the processor to absorb heat therefrom, and a centrifugal blower for generating airflow to take away the heat of the fin unit. The centrifugal blower includes a housing, a hub and a plurality of blades extending radially from the hub. The housing includes a top plate, a bottom plate parallel to the top plate, and a sidewall interconnecting the top plate and the bottom plate. Generally, a thickness of each of the top and bottom plates is about 0.5 millimeter (mm) to 3 mm. The centrifugal blower defines air inlet/inlets in the top plate or/and the bottom plate thereof, and defines an air outlet in the sidewall adjacent to the fin unit. A gap is defined between a top/bottom cover of the enclosure of the electronic device and the top plate/bottom plate of the centrifugal blower for the airflow flowing into the centrifugal blower smoothly. However, the gaps between the top cover/bottom cover of the enclosure and top plate/bottom plate of the centrifugal fan decrease a height of an inner space of the electronic device available for mounting the thermal module, which results in that a thickness of the electronic device needs to increase in order to increase the height of the inner space. In addition, the existence of the top and bottom plates of the centrifugal blower further requires an increase of the thickness of the electronic device in order to accommodate the thermal module. Such increase in thickness of the electronic device conflicts with the requirement of lightness, thinness, compactness and miniaturization of the portable electronic devices.
What is needed, therefore, is a portable electronic device with a centrifugal blower, which overcomes the described limitations.